Christians face rising persecution in Ethiopia as attacks spread across Oromia – The Catholic Herald

Christians in Ethiopia are facing increasing persecution, particularly in the state of Oromia.
In October alone, the region saw more than 25 Orthodox Christians killed in its East Arsi Zone. One attack in Honqolo Wabe (Siltana) Woreda left five people dead, reportedly from the same family. Another saw the historic hilltop Asebot Monastery attacked, leaving one Orthodox Christian killed and his son seriously injured.
A similar rise in persecution has also affected the Catholic community, prompting the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ethiopia to issue a statement condemning the violence and calling on the government to take urgent measures to protect citizens. The bishops noted that “Catholics have died and property has been burnt” in an attack near St Mary’s Catholic Church in West Hararghe. They added: “Our Church strongly condemns this kind of inhuman act. Therefore, our Church calls upon the government to do the necessary law enforcement work to ensure the peace and security of citizens.”
The Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), an armed insurgent group seeking to advance self-determination and rights for the Oromo people, Ethiopia’s largest ethnic group, has been blamed for some of the violence. However, its former political wing has cited the government as being responsible for “numerous atrocities against civilians” in recent weeks. It is also believed that ethno-religious extremists may be behind the surge in attacks.
Ethiopia has a history of religious violence, with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, intervening after 30 people were killed in deadly clashes between Muslims and Orthodox Christians in 2022.
The latest partisan violence also recalls the 2015 murders of Ethiopian Orthodox Christians in Libya. In two separate videos released by ISIS, masked militants beheaded and shot Ethiopian Christians in orange jumpsuits. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church has designated the men as martyrs and passed a decision to commemorate them annually.
Ethiopia is home to one of the world’s oldest Christian communities, with roots dating back to the fourth century. Around 330 AD, King Ezana of Aksum, in what is now modern-day Ethiopia, converted to Christianity, making it the state religion. Today, Ethiopian Orthodoxy is practised by about 44 per cent of the population, with Protestants making up a further 23 per cent. Catholics account for less than 1 per cent of the East African nation.
(Photo by AMANUEL SILESHI/AFP via Getty Images)
Christians in Ethiopia are facing increasing persecution, particularly in the state of Oromia.
In October alone, the region saw more than 25 Orthodox Christians killed in its East Arsi Zone. One attack in Honqolo Wabe (Siltana) Woreda left five people dead, reportedly from the same family. Another saw the historic hilltop Asebot Monastery attacked, leaving one Orthodox Christian killed and his son seriously injured.
A similar rise in persecution has also affected the Catholic community, prompting the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ethiopia to issue a statement condemning the violence and calling on the government to take urgent measures to protect citizens. The bishops noted that “Catholics have died and property has been burnt” in an attack near St Mary’s Catholic Church in West Hararghe. They added: “Our Church strongly condemns this kind of inhuman act. Therefore, our Church calls upon the government to do the necessary law enforcement work to ensure the peace and security of citizens.”
The Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), an armed insurgent group seeking to advance self-determination and rights for the Oromo people, Ethiopia’s largest ethnic group, has been blamed for some of the violence. However, its former political wing has cited the government as being responsible for “numerous atrocities against civilians” in recent weeks. It is also believed that ethno-religious extremists may be behind the surge in attacks.
Ethiopia has a history of religious violence, with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, intervening after 30 people were killed in deadly clashes between Muslims and Orthodox Christians in 2022.
The latest partisan violence also recalls the 2015 murders of Ethiopian Orthodox Christians in Libya. In two separate videos released by ISIS, masked militants beheaded and shot Ethiopian Christians in orange jumpsuits. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church has designated the men as martyrs and passed a decision to commemorate them annually.
Ethiopia is home to one of the world’s oldest Christian communities, with roots dating back to the fourth century. Around 330 AD, King Ezana of Aksum, in what is now modern-day Ethiopia, converted to Christianity, making it the state religion. Today, Ethiopian Orthodoxy is practised by about 44 per cent of the population, with Protestants making up a further 23 per cent. Catholics account for less than 1 per cent of the East African nation.
(Photo by AMANUEL SILESHI/AFP via Getty Images)

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